


The Future Queen Commands

by tehfanglyfish



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Arthur Knows About Merlin's Magic (Merlin), Canon Era, Deviates From Canon, First Kiss, Fluff, Love Confessions, M/M, The Author Regrets Nothing, adventures in babysitting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-26
Updated: 2020-01-26
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:07:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22421551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tehfanglyfish/pseuds/tehfanglyfish
Summary: The outbreak of a midwinter fever leaves the castle short staffed and Arthur in the uncomfortable position of looking after four small children. Who knew that children had so much energy? Or that they asked so many nosy questions? And were quite skilled at getting answers?By no means did the king of Camelot expect a little girl to discover a secret he’d been keeping for years, one involving Merlin and feelings, or to put him in a position where he must reveal it.
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 102
Kudos: 1060
Collections: The Merlin/Arthur Kiss Fest 2019





	The Future Queen Commands

**Author's Note:**

> Sadly, this is my final Kiss Fest submission. (And I am again grateful for Amnesty Week because this refused to come together during the week for winter.) I had so much fun with this fest, both writing and reading. I kind of want to cry now that it’s ending. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU, lovely mods for organizing and hosting this!!!
> 
> As always, I write for the love Camelot and never for money.

There were times where, despite being king, Arthur felt completely useless. Take today as a case in point. While Camelot was operating on an overworked skeleton crew, he was left alone in his chambers with nothing to do.

The castle serving staff were stretched thin thanks to the outbreak of a fever sweeping through the city. Everyone who was able to work had taken on extra duties to cover for those absent. Arthur’s many offers to help had been politely declined, thanks largely to Merlin. Over the years, he’d told anyone who would listen about the one time the king attempted to make his own bed and needed assistance getting untangled from the sheets.

Gaius was out making his rounds to treat the sick. Merlin had been called away to the stables to tend to a mare having a difficult time giving birth to her foal. Even Arthur had to admit that Merlin was the best choice for the job, with his way with animals, his medical training from Gaius, and his magic.

It had been exactly one year now since Arthur had learned about Merlin’s hidden talents and immediately lifted the ban. The more he learned about what Merlin could do and had done, the prouder Arthur grew.

The knights were dispatched to check on residents of the Lower Town. With the combination of illness and frigid weather, Arthur wanted to make sure that no one was in danger of freezing in their homes. Leon had refused to let the king accompany them.

“We can’t risk you getting sick,” he’d explained.

As Leon never challenged the king’s decision to lead his knights on the battlefield, Arthur had a strong suspicion that his reluctance came more from Merlin’s account of how much Arthur had whined the last time he caught a cold.

Morgana, now the official High Priestess of the Court, had been gone for several days, deep in the forest with Kilgharrah, holding one of their regular “Expressing Years of Pent-Up Rage Toward Uther in Healthy and Non-Destructive Ways” ceremonies. What they did out amongst the trees, Arthur wasn’t entirely sure, but they always returned in a better mood. Anyone harboring repressed anger at Uther was welcome to join them, and Druids often attended.

Morgana always invited Arthur, but he much preferred to work through his feelings alone in his chambers with Merlin. He didn’t have to worry about being judged, plus Merlin seemed to know exactly when Arthur needed a hug without prompting. And Merlin gave the very best hugs.

Lost in his brooding, it was a relief to hear a knock on his door.

“Guinevere! Come in. Would you like to play dice or eat dinner or…?”

“Sorry Arthur, George and I are going to help Gaius, but I was wondering if you could do me a favor.”

“Anything you need.”

She stepped into his chambers followed by four small children.

“Arthur, meet Mae and Evan. They’re the children of Thomas the woodcutter. Little Kian and Cadyn here are his nephews. Thomas couldn’t leave them at home because the rest of his family are sick, but it’s too cold for them to go with him to haul in firewood. I was watching them but Gaius needs me.”

When she gave him her sweetest smile, Arthur knew he was in trouble.

“I was hoping you could look after them. Just for a little while. I wouldn’t ask but there’s no one else free and…”

“Guinevere, I don’t know the first thing about children. Maybe I could go with Gaius instead and you could stay…”

“Gaius says that under no circumstances are you to go near anyone who’s sick. Remember when you caught that cold and made Merlin crawl in bed with you because you had a chill?”

Had Merlin really shared _that_ particular detail with the entire castle? Arthur was going to kill him.

“Don’t worry,” Guinevere said, “he only told me because he was wondering if it meant… never mind. Look, they’re very well-behaved and it will only be until Geoffrey’s done helping in the kitchens or Thomas gets back.”

It was impossible to say no to Guinevere.

“Very well.”

“Thanks a bunch,” she said, kissing him on the cheek. “Now I’ve got to run. Everyone be good and obey the king.”

“Tell that to Merlin,” Arthur muttered, earning him a laugh as Guinevere hurried out his chambers.

He turned to face his charges.

“Hello,” he said.

Four pairs of eyes looked up at him.

They stood in silence, staring at one another. The children clearly expected something from him, but none of his previous experiences had left him equipped for this situation. Arthur tried to think of something to say. He failed.

“Are you really the king?” Mae finally asked, breaking the awkward silence.

“Um, yes, I am.”

“How did you get to be king?” Cadyn wanted to know.

“My father was a king. He…” Arthur froze. Evan appeared the oldest but he couldn’t be more than ten. Cadyn and Mae might be close to eight, but he would put Kian no older than four. How much did they know about death? “He said I would be king when he was gone.”

“So how did he get to be king?” Evan asked.

Arthur remembered the stories Uther told him of how he seized the throne as a young man. Even before the Great Purge his father had been prone to violent brutality.

“He went to bed early and ate his vegetables,” Arthur replied. Yes, it was a lie, but there was no need for their dreams to be plagued with the nightmares Uther’s tales had created for Arthur when he was small.

“I hate vegetables,” Kian proclaimed.

“Which means you’ll never be king,” Mae said, speaking like an expert on matters of succession. “But I like them. Which means that I could be queen. Isn’t that right?”

“I… maybe,” Arthur said, wondering how his most bothersome councilors would react if he named Mae his successor to stop them from pestering him about his lack of an heir.

“And since I’m going to be the queen,” she continued, turning to face the boys, “you all have to do everything I say. Or I’ll throw you in the dungeons and you’ll have to live with the rats and eat straw and…”

Then again, maybe Mae wasn’t quite ready.

“You can’t do that! Can you?”

Cadyn looked to Mae who looked to Arthur.

“It’s far too cold to throw anyone in the dungeons. Let’s play a game instead.”

“Alright,” Mae said, accepting the limits on her royal authority. “But I want to play your favorite game from when you were little to help me become queen.”

Arthur tried to think of games that children liked to play but drew a blank.

“I didn’t really play games when I was a child.”

“Then what did you do?” Evan asked.

“Well, I had to learn how to ride a horse and I had to study.”

“Boring,” Cadyn said.

“And I spent a lot of time training with swords.”

“You had your own sword?” Evan asked, eyes wide.

“Eventually. I started with a wooden one. I had to practice with it for a few years before I was ready for a real sword.”

“Like a stick?”

“Sort of.”

“Fine,” said Mae, “we’ll hit each other with sticks.”

“Yes!” cried the boys in unison.

“No!” said the king.

“But I _need_ to hit them with a stick,” Mae whined. “It’s important. How else will I be ready to be queen?”

“Good queens try not to hit people,” Arthur replied, suddenly feeling uneasy about all the times Merlin had chided him about slaps, friendly punches, and other forms of horseplay. “Let’s try games you enjoy.”

Their attempt at hide-and-seek didn’t last very long. Arthur’s chambers were spacious for a bedroom, but not large enough to provide good hiding places for four people.

There was no rope to jump, no ball to toss.

Tag went well until Kian tripped and began to cry.

“Give him water,” Evan suggested when Arthur couldn’t get him to stop. “He can’t cry and drink at the same time.”

“Do you have any children?” Cadyn asked as they waited on Kian to calm down.

“Of course he doesn’t,” Mae cut in before Arthur could reply. “That’s why I’ll be queen when I grow up. Are you married?”

“No.”

“Is there someone you like?”

“Maybe,” Arthur said, not liking where this line of questioning was headed.

“That means yes,” Evan said. “Have you kissed her?”

“Might not be a her,” Mae chided. “Remember how Uncle Gareth likes Tyr?”

“You weren’t supposed to tell anyone,” Evan reminded her. “Gareth made us promise.”

“Yes, but Arthur’s the king. He already knows everything. Anyway, have you kissed her? Or him?”

“No.”

“Have you even told them?”

“No.” Arthur tried not to blush.

“Well you should. A king shouldn’t be a chicken like Uncle Gareth. As Camelot’s future queen, I order you to tell them. And if they like you back, you should kiss them.”

“You make it sound very simple.”

“It is. And you’d better do it. I’ll be checking up on you.”

“What should we play next?” Arthur asked, desperate to change the subject.

❉❉❉❉❉❉❉❉❉❉

The last rays of sunlight had faded when the door to Arthur’s chambers burst open.

“Sorry that took so long. The foal was weak and I wanted to stay with her to make sure that she was ok, then I went to grab us some dinner and… why are you standing barefoot on the desk? And who are your guests?”

“I’m Mae and I’m going to be Camelot’s next queen,” Mae proclaimed from atop Arthur’s dining table. “This is my brother Evan and my cousins Kian and Cadyn. You’re Merlin and the king needs to tell you something very important. Also your boots are melting because a dragon was here and he made the floor into lava.”

“Ah,” said Merlin, quickly catching on, “you’re right. Let’s see if I can do something about that.”

All it took was a short incantation and light snow began to fall in the king’s chambers.

“We’re saved!” Cadyn cried.

“I’m saved,” Arthur muttered as Thomas appeared in the doorway.

“I hope they weren’t too much trouble, sire.”

“Not at all. It was a very… interesting day. And if you need help tomorrow…”

“Their grandfather will be able to help out then. But thank you, sire.”

As Thomas closed the door, Arthur climbed down from the table and slumped on the bed.

“I have never been more exhausted in my entire life.”

The mattress dipped as Merlin sat next to him, placing the tray of food between them.

“I thought I was knackered, but judging from the state of your chambers, I think my day was easier.”

“Sorry about that. I’ll help clean up. Or you could, you know, magic away the mess.”

“Not a bad idea,” Merlin laughed. “I think we’re both too tired for anything else.”

They ate in companionable silence. While Arthur always enjoyed listening to Merlin’s prattle, it was nice to have a moment of quiet.

After he finished eating, Merlin reclined against the pillows, his eyes falling shut. Carefully, so as not to disturb him, Arthur took the tray to the table, then settled back on the bed.

“Thanks,” Merlin murmured, eyes still shut. “I’m dreading the walk back to my room.”

The silence descended again, leaving Arthur wondering if Merlin had fallen asleep.

“You looked ridiculous on that table.”

Arthur shouldn’t have been disappointed that he was still awake, but it meant Merlin would likely soon leave to go to his own bed.

“I didn’t know what else to do. It was too cold to take them outside. At least you weren’t there for ‘The Queen Commands.’ I banged up my wrist trying to turn a cartwheel.”

“Give it here.”

Strong fingers massaged Arthur’s aching wrist. He felt the unmistakable warmth of magic flowing into his skin. A year ago it might have frightened him, but now it was comforting and familiar.

“Much better.”

“Good.”

Though the healing spell was complete, Merlin kept his hold on Arthur.

“I think today was the hardest day of my entire reign. Maybe my entire life.”

“Oh, it couldn’t have been that bad.”

“I was completely out of my element.”

“I don’t know… judging by the looks of things, you’re good with children. Just wait until word gets out - Camelot will be flooded with eligible women from all the surrounding realms. You might finally find a bride that suits you.”

Usually Merlin took Arthur’s side when the councilors pushed him to pick a wife. It stung a little that Merlin didn’t know his heart better. Not that Merlin had any reason to know it, what with how Arthur kept it guarded.

“Don’t want one.” 

“You shouldn’t spend your life alone.”

“I’m not alone,” Arthur said, rolling on his side to face Merlin. “And anyway, why would I have to choose a wife? There are… other options.”

“Such as?”

“Well, think about Tyr and Gareth.”

Where this bravery had come from, Arthur wasn’t sure. Maybe it was his exhaustion, or Mae’s directive, or simply foolish hope.

There was a slight pause before Merlin spoke. It felt like an eternity.

“How can you possibly know about them? That’s a secret.”

Arthur tried his best not to be too annoyed at Merlin’s infuriatingly neutral response.

“I’m the king Merlin, I know everything.”

“That’s not true. There’s plenty you don’t know.”

“Like what?”

“You didn’t know about my magic.”

“Not before you told me, but now I do. Why? Are there more secrets you’ve been keeping from me?”

Merlin’s eyes remained shut but his grip on Arthur’s wrist tightened.

“Weren’t you meant to be telling me something important? Mae said you had something to tell me.”

A clear diversion, but Merlin had a point. Arthur had been keeping his own secret.

“Mae subjected me to an hours-long interrogation. And managed to drag out a secret I’ve hidden for years. Something I’ve been keeping from you that I should have told you long ago, except I didn’t know how and it was easier not to. And I’m not doing that great of a job of it right now. I guess what I’m trying to say is… stay.”

“Stay?” His eyes opened to meet Arthur’s.

“You said you were too tired to go back to your room. I was thinking that you could stay. Here. With me. Tonight. And maybe more nights. And if those nights are good, then all nights. But only if you want.”

It wasn’t the world’s best love confession. Arthur wasn’t even sure if even rated as mediocre. Yet that didn’t seem to matter because Merlin was kissing him, open-mouthed and clumsy, desperate and perfect.

He pulled Merlin close and tried to match his enthusiasm. Arthur hoped that his efforts might compensate for his ineloquent words. He felt an arm drape across his shoulder as Merlin’s magic extended around them both.

“Maybe we should climb under the quilt,” Arthur said when they finally broke apart. “It’s getting chilly.”

“Sorry! I can use my magic to tend the fire...”

“Yes. Or you can curl up under the covers. With me.”

“Ah. When you put it that way…”

They raided Arthur’s wardrobe for nightclothes, then hurried back under the blankets. Wrapped up in Merlin’s arms, head resting on his shoulder, Arthur savored the moment.

There was so much he wanted to say to Merlin, so much he wanted to do with Merlin. If only he could stay awake.

“I was going to…”

“Shh,” Merlin replied. “It can keep. Right now we’re both tired. There’ll be plenty of time for all that in the morning.”

With those words, Arthur let his eyes close and sleep claim him.

❉❉❉❉❉❉❉❉❉❉

Two weeks later, Arthur was walking through the Lower Town, Merlin’s hand clasped in his own. Snow had fallen the night before, concealing even the grittier parts the city under a blanket of soft white. They had left under the pretense of delivering a remedy for Gaius. Arthur secretly wanted an excuse to hold Merlin’s hand where all could see.

“You told him,” a familiar voice shrieked as Mae ran up to greet them.

“I did.”

“I told you he’d like you back.”

“You are very wise,” Merlin cut it.

“Which is why I’m going to be the next queen. Right?”

“Well,” Arthur began, “it’s a big decision and you might change your mind later on. For now, maybe we could start with sword lessons.”

“You’ll teach me?”

There was something about her tone that gave Arthur pause.

“Only if you promise not to hit the other children with a stick.”

Mae hesitated as she considered his terms.

“Fine. But only if you tell him about the ring,” she said, turning to leave as her mother called to her.

“I’ll need to arrange a time with Thomas,” Arthur said, as they resumed their stroll, “and get her a training sword and maybe Leon can help and…”

“What ring?” Merlin interrupted.

Arthur couldn’t bear to face Merlin – he should never have let the children play hide-and-seek. He thought he’d hidden the ring so well. How was he to know that Mae would not only find it but also force another confession out of him? There was no way Merlin couldn’t know what she meant.

“So I might have had another secret. One that I have been planning to bring up… I wanted to wait until…”

“Yes.”

“Yes?”

“That’s my answer. When you’re ready,” Merlin said, turning to gently kiss Arthur. “For now, let’s deliver this remedy for Gaius so we can get back to our chambers. I’m freezing. You can help me warm up.”

Arthur’s face began to burn despite the cold, though whether it was from Merlin’s answer, or his reference to _their_ chambers, or how he might be warmed up, Arthur couldn’t say. Probably all of the above, if he was honest.

“We’d better hurry then. For health and safety.”

“Right,” Merlin said, kissing him one more time before leading him down the snow-covered street.


End file.
